White County Jail Overview
White County Jail is operated by the White County Sheriff's Department and is the only detention facility in the resolved White County facility map. It is a county adult detention facility, not a state prison or federal detention center. The jail holds local pretrial and non-sentenced inmates, sentenced county inmates, work-release and periodic-imprisonment inmates, and contract holds.
The 2024 IDOC inspection notes contract housing for the U.S. Marshals, Hamilton County, and Edwards County. That detail is important for lookup. A person can be physically housed at White County Jail while the underlying case or hold belongs to another agency. When calling the jail, ask whether the person is held for White County, another Illinois county, the U.S. Marshals, or a different authority.
The sheriff's office identifies Sheriff Jordan Weiss as the elected sheriff and describes the department's duties as including jail operation, court security, dispatch services, civil process, investigations, public assistance, search and rescue, and humane detention. The jail site describes its mission as safe, secure, sanitary, and legally compliant custody.
White County Jail Capacity
The Illinois Sheriffs' Association lists White County Jail at 77 jail beds. IDOC's 2024 White County Jail inspection gives a housing layout of 12 double detention rooms, one 6-bed dorm, six 8-bed dorms, and one single safety room that is excluded from total capacity. The research did not locate a current official daily population dashboard from the county, jail, or sheriff.
Vera's historical 2019 jail population field for White County was 26.6, with 19.95 pretrial and 6.65 sentenced jail custody. Those figures are historical context, not a current count. For current custody, call the jail directly.
Look Up White County Jail Inmates
No official public online White County Jail roster was found during research. That means White County Jail lookup should start with the jail phone and then branch to court records, VINE, IDOC, BOP, or ICE as needed. The White County inmate records page covers the broader lookup chain, while this facility page focuses on people who may be held at the jail itself.
- Call White County Jail at (618) 382-7149 for current custody confirmation.
- Provide full name, date of birth or age, arrest date, and the arresting agency if known.
- Ask whether the person is a White County inmate or a contract hold for another agency.
- Use Illinois VINELink for custody notification when release or transfer status matters.
- Use Judici or the Circuit Clerk for filed charges and court dates.
White County Jail Contact
The jail and sheriff's office are in the downtown Carmi courthouse area. The sheriff contact page says the office is behind the courthouse and that parking is across the street. The jail phone is the best first contact for current custody, bond basics, mail questions, and visit procedures.
White County Jail
108 N. Main Cross St.
Carmi, IL 62821
(618) 382-7149
Jail fax: (618) 384-3312
White County Sheriff's Department
108 N. Main Cross St.
Carmi, IL 62821
(618) 382-5321
Monday-Friday, 7:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Visit White County Jail
White County's official online sources did not publish a full in-person visitation schedule, visitor approval form, or dress code. The jail commissary page says family members can use the deposit website to email and set up video-call visitation, and the IDOC inspection says phone calls and video visits are available on request. Confirm the current process before traveling or scheduling a call.
| Visit Type | Schedule | Type |
|---|---|---|
| In-person visitation | Not published in official sources reviewed | Call jail before travel |
| Video-call visitation | No public schedule found | Set up through deposit/JailATM or related jail vendor channel |
| Attorney visits | Not published in official sources reviewed | Call jail or court office |
White County Jail Mail and Money
Address inmate mail to White County Jail, C/O Inmate Name, 108 N. Main Cross St., Carmi IL 62821. Mail must clearly and legibly include the sender's name and return address. The jail FAQ allows letters on common household stock, standard cards, and standard printed photographs. It prohibits stamps, stickers, magazines, newspaper clippings, photocopies of clippings, cash, personal property, and sexually explicit photos.
The official White County Jail commissary page documents weekly ordering, JailATM, InmateSales, and deposit warnings.
The commissary screenshot supports the facility rules because it shows the local vendor paths and timing that families must follow before sending funds.
| Service | Provider / Detail |
|---|---|
| Mail Address | White County Jail, C/O Inmate Name, 108 N. Main Cross St., Carmi, IL 62821 |
| Phone / Video | Combined Public Communications noted in IDOC inspection; InmateSales linked for phone funds. |
| Money Deposit | JailATM for commissary funds; Visa/Mastercard listed by jail page. |
| Processing Fee | $3.25 for funds not transferred via Combined Public Communications, including money orders. |
Commissary orders are due every Tuesday before 10 p.m. and delivered every Thursday unless jail operations prevent delivery. Funds must be applied by Monday at 3:00 p.m. for that week's order. The jail warns that refunds are not issued for wrong-inmate deposits and that corrections officers cannot disclose account balances.
Booking at White County Jail
White County does not publish a detailed booking manual, but the official and IDOC sources describe several intake-related pieces. Jail staff handle custody for non-sentenced, sentenced, work-release, periodic-imprisonment, and contract inmates. Corrections officers are Illinois trained and certified to identify safety, medical, and mental-health risks. IDOC's inspection notes that the orientation manual is available through the kiosk.
Medical, mental-health, and dental triage screenings are provided by Advanced Correctional Healthcare. Egyptian Public and Mental Health Department provides additional mental-health services, and DMD Timothy W. Roser provides additional dental services. Meals are prepared on site by jail staff, and the kitchen inspection was performed by Egyptian Health Department in April 2024.
Bond at White County Jail
The jail FAQ says bond is accepted 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The person posting bond must be over 18 or accompanied by a parent or legal guardian and must have a valid government photo ID. Cash bonds must be paid in cash in the largest logical denomination possible, and the FAQ says no change or one-dollar bills. Credit-card bond can be handled through CourtMoney by phone at 800-352-9870, with a service fee.
Commissary-account funds cannot be used for bond. Illinois pretrial release and detention decisions are court controlled, so the jail can explain whether a bond or order is in place, but the court controls release terms. The jail FAQ also says court appearances are assigned by the White County Circuit Clerk.
White County Jail Programs
IDOC's 2024 inspection provides unusually detailed facility information. GED materials are available from Southeastern Illinois College. Law-library resources, including Illinois Compiled Statutes and Federal Statutes, are available by kiosk. Religious volunteers provide materials. Phone calls, texting, tablet access, and video visits are tied to Combined Public Communications.
The jail states it has a zero-tolerance PREA policy. PREA reports may be made by calling (618) 382-7149 and asking for the Jail Administrator's voicemail. Anonymous reporting is allowed, and the jail says reports are investigated within 24 hours. For booking photos, use the factual process on the White County jail mugshots page, because no official online gallery was found.
Note: Confirm custody, visit rules, and money instructions with White County Jail before traveling or sending funds.